Permissions Headache - trying to erase User folders

Hi,

Trying to wipe old HD's. Erasure of the whole drive is needless waste; I just want to wipe the sensitive stuff.

BUT, those permissions refuse to let go. I've searched this forum & web (long time) and tried everything: changing ownership, running as admin, every possible nook&cranny I could find.

Anyway to get rid of them once and for all? Short of killing the partition and wiping empty space?

Thanks

Try: Add yourself (user account logged in) to root of drive and give full control.

These are obviously System files. The correct way to delete an OS is to delete its partition. Anything less can cause problems later.

Gokay, Yeah tried that.

gregrocker said:

These are obviously System files. The correct way to delete an OS is to delete its partition. Anything less can cause problems later.

Well, when I try to erase, those system files keep halting the job. I need to know which are the problem ones to separate those from the the sensitive data.
Deleting partition first means I have to wipe the whole thing - really wasteful.

Thanks for the input

Did you come here for help? Then why don't you ask us instead of telling us? We deal with these cases here by the thousands.

If this is a partition which had an operating system upon it, then the only correct way to delete the operating system with all of its files is to move any user data off the partition and then delete the partition itself in disk management, After which you can then immediately recreate it. This clears the partition table of an OS as well as the boot files which can interfere if left hidden on the partition.

It's only necessary to wipe the hard drive if it interferes with the booting of any other hard drive, at which time all that is required is Diskpart Clean command.

Perhaps I should clarify - I am using 'erase', 'wipe' for secure erasure of sensitive data.

Hello Greg, how are you?

Secure erase is used to make data irretrievable by all but Forensics means. It isn't really needed ordinarily since new data will overwrite the old deleted data soon enough.

The best way I know to secure erase Data is to wipe drive with Diskpart Clean all command. Disk - Clean and Clean All with Diskpart Command

You can also wipe areas of the hard drive where data is deleted using CCleaner.

You can do a partition-specific wipe using Partition Wizard. Option 2 in Partition Wizard : Use the Bootable CD